The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-09-24

tug' phf "h' "FN ~ '"'
lacing at the back of their
stays, on they hold on to a horizontal
bar put up IN their dressing-room while
their maids tug, pull and haul at the
stay laces until the requisite "hour
glass" or "wasp" effect is produced
Are there any other results, it may be
asked. from this elegant process Of gar
roting the female form? There are a
good many, and we will venture to emu
merate "A few. On the authority Of the
most eminent physicians and surgeons
Of the last two generations IL may be
stated that in the head tight lacing
produces giddnc--, headache, pain in
the eyes, ringing in the ears and bleed
ing at the nose uabitual tight lacing
will provoke that most undesirable adj
dition 10 the female complexion. red
nose. Tight lacing IS quite as mis-
chioyOus In the region OF the thorax,
TO which it give. q false support, i'm
peding The development Of the natu-
raj support. 1t displaccs the bones,
dcrangcs the circulation, induces scir-
rhus Ia the mammary glands, and ul-
timatcly cancer; and II Is II tolcrably
sure provocative Of lung disease, pal
pitation Of the heart and water in the
chest. In the abdominal region tight
lacing may be reckoned upon with toll
erablc confidence 10 bring about loss
Of appetite, squcamishncss. indiges-
ton, induratiOn of the liver, melan-
cholia. dropsy and rupture. Campin
closely associated tight-lacing with
squirting; Boaud said ihat il led TO
polypu-; Planter maintained that to
tight lacing mothers unhealthy chill
dren we're born, joseph warned the
lovers Of stifi corset, that their chit
drcn would be- ugly; Wormcs remarked
that one Of the triiling incOnvenicnces
Of tight lacing was swollen feet; and
WinslOw showed that there was an in
innate connection between tight lac
ing curvature OF the spine and hunch-
back.
Every scholar is aware that stays are
articles of attire Of the very highest an
tiqully, and that the ccstus OF Agla
was practically "a corset. Some anti
auarians have even contended that the
girdlG which juno wore when sho
wished 10 appear at her loyclicst In the
eyes of Jupiter was a pair of stays, the
adornmcnts described by the ancient
Greek and Latin poets being in all
probability ihG "mamiliares' Mads VI
many folds Of the finest cambric tightly
wound round and round the female
form. after the manner Of the turban Of
Il Turkish mOllah or one of Beau Brum-
mcll's cravats The Empress sie,aa.
lima was wont TO have her body crayat
adjusted very tightly before she pro
ccedcd to pass a happy evening in the
bahUrra; while in the reign of Augustus
an improved corset was introduced
called "castula;' it fitted closely to
the form. and had tho agreeable adj
dition of dress improyer Busks
seem to have been invented in
Greece, to have been made of linden
wood, and worn by both sexes, since
Aristophancs bantcrcd Cincsias ~ the
man who wore the lindcn--a curious
anticipation of "Tcnnyson'S padded
man that wears The staYs. Tho ladies
stays of the Middle Ages were known
rs 'Justaucorps. and subsequently rs
"cottcsharlics;' but Isabeau de Ba-
Were. the consort of Charles VI. of
France, totally ,cpuulatcu s,oy,,
besides, laid it down rs II sumptuary
canon that there should be rs little
drapcry as possible between the neck
lace and the lace. When the Italian
Catharino brought in the GXccrablG
busk, which was lirst of wood or OF
ivory, the corset successfully devcla
opod in rigidity and obduracy 1t be-
came u cage, Il became II cuirass and 1t
had to be SO tightly laced that the mus
cular power of the ordinary femme de
chambrc' being inadequate to the pnl-
lev hauling required, the court ladies
used to send for the strongest of the
Forts de In Halle To tug at their stay
laccs, and even these athletic creatures
could not accomplish their task to the
entire satisfaction vf their fashionable
employers without pressing one foot
firmly against the bcdpost in order to
obtain the necessary purchase or lever
ngc. We soom e. be approaching sim
liar excess in the compression OF cor
sets at the present day.-London Ietc-
d